Self-driving (also referred to as autonomous) vehicles can allow vehicle operators to focus attention on things other than vehicle operations. However, it is typically desirable for an operator of an autonomous vehicle to be able to resume control of some or all vehicle operations, e.g., steering, throttling, and/or braking control, upon short notice, e.g., in a matter of seconds or less. However, there is a risk that if the vehicle operator is engaged in a non-driving task, e.g., a movie, game, or video conference, the operator might intentionally or unintentionally ignore a takeover request issued by a vehicle computer.